This application is the national filing of and claims the benefit of International Patent Application No. PCT/GB 2007/050500, filed on Aug. 21, 2007 and claims the priority benefit of GB Patent Application Serial No. 0616410.7, filed Aug. 21, 2006, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a method and system of juxtaposing components in an assembly process.
It is often necessary for an operator to pinpoint the exact location of placement of a component during the manufacture of a large and/or complex assembly or structure. Such components may comprise composite fabric material plies stacked on a mould, electronic components fitted on a circuit board, or labels for positioning on a substrate.
This is also the case when an operator wishes to pinpoint an exact location for stencilling, for example, lettering on a surface or to position bolt holes.
An existing system to enable an operator to pinpoint the exact location of placement of a component in an assembly process has a laser above a base component on which a mounting component is to be mounted. The laser traces an outline of the mounting component on a mounting surface of the base component that a user of the system can see. The user then physically moves the mounting component until it coincides with the traced outline.
A problem with this system is that it is only suitable for a substantially flat surface. If the mounting surface bends away from the laser, the laser cannot accurately show the outline of the mounting component on the surface. Furthermore, a blockage above the mounting surface, such as a user's hand or a part of, say, a mould, may prevent the laser outline from being projected onto the mounting surface. Also, the system is expensive and cumbersome.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method and system of juxtaposing components in an assembly process which alleviates at least one of the above problems.